Two Hawaii police officers were fatally shot on Sunday by a man who authorities believe later died in his home after he set it on fire in a quiet neighbourhood not far from Oahu’s busy Waikiki Beach, officials and local media said.
“Our entire state mourns the loss of two Honolulu police officers killed in the line of duty this morning,” Hawaii Governor David Ige said in a statement.
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell called the shootings “an unprecedented tragedy” for the state.
A third officer was injured in the incident in which the spreading fire destroyed several houses in an affluent area near the base of Diamond Head, a volcanic mountain at the southern tip of the island, KITV News reported.
Michelle Yu, a Honolulu police spokeswoman, declined to comment on the incident, but said by telephone that a press briefing was being planned.